Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-03-19

BE EVENING STAR:
HEATING RAILROAD CARS.
Many Curious Devices for which
Patents Have Been Asked.
THE INGENUITY OF NvErroRs STIMULATED Br
RECKNf OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES PROPOSED FOR PRE-
VENTING TIE DANGER OF FIRE WHEN CARS ARE
DERAnRD.
The recent railroad disasters In different parts
ofthe country during the past few months have had
what would seem to be rather remote and curious
eject There seems to be no relation at all be-
tween railroad collisions and the Patent ONCE, but
the TACT Is that one OF the direct results Of these
accidents has been the flooding OF one OF the
divisions OF the Patent Office with applications for
patents for great variety of devices to do away
with or TO modify the danger OF the present means
used for heating cars. The horrors OF the recent
railroad accidents as indeed Of nearly all OF such
occurrences have been intensified, by the fact that
the derailed were set on fire from the over
turned stoves and the imprisoned and helpless pas
sengers roasted to death There has been a very
| general demand that the present method of heat
| Ing cars be done away with, and that some de-
vice less dangerous be substituted.
| GREAT DEMAND FOR PATENTS.
In consequence the ingenious minds all over the
country have set to work to invent thing that
will supply an acknowledged public want and the
applications for patents of this kind have increased
| steadily from few each month to forty, ffty and
| sixty, which was the number received In the
division Of Celebrities OF the Patent Office last
month. During the two weeks OF this month end
applications received and ffteen caveats fled The
| pressure OF work has been so great that an
examiner was specially detailed to take charge Of
and his first assistant Mr.. Steward in speaking OF
the activity among inventors in this particular
were naturally snxous To hit npon de-
vices for which there is a public demand. For
| instance they said that the death Of brakeman,
who had been caught between the cars while
coupling them would often bring down upon the
Office shower OF applications for patents for car
numerous that nbw applications Of this sort had
become joke IN the department and II you want
to create genuine Patent Office smile, all that Is
necessary Is TO mention q car coupling device.
"From 1869 to 1872, (" remarked Examiner Chad
sey, 'there was large number Of applications re-
t9f car IA ana fha at
cidents were unusually numerous during that
period: , There have, Of course, been good many
"Hasn't the ideal heating apparatus been in
vented YETI" asked THE STAR man.
o, III seems seems not" was the reply Patents are
either in whole or in part. to meet the object for
which they are intended. Inventors, in carrying
but they are not apt to take into consideration all
the requirements, and so their patents fail TO
come into general use. Then the railroad COM
panies want something that will accomplish the
object without increasing the expense. In this
way and for this reason there has been but little
actual change in the method OF heating cars"
SOME OF THE DEVICES.
The reporter was given an opportunity OF
glancing over the drawings of some of the patents
already issued. Among the earliest of these
patented devices the idea that most frequently
appears is continuance for putting out the fires
M q nat.
entees have attached a reservoir Of water either
above or below the stove, with a valve arrange
ment which will open and allow the water to flood
the fire In case the car is overturned. Whether
the steam that will be generated In such an event
would be more disastrous than the fire is a Ques-
ton which 1t Is said is not taken into consideration
by the inventors. At any rate none OF these inven-
lions have come into practical use.
Another line OF inventions intended to modify
the dangers OF the stove proposes to place the
stoves in proof compartments eitherseparated
from the car or else placed in a separate car In
the latter case all the lighting as well as the
heating apparatus is situated in the car and pipes
conveying the heat run to the other cars COM
posing the train.
DOOR FOR THE STOVE.
Where there is such compartment in each car in
tended solely for the stove, one inventor has de-
signed large door in one side OF the car through
which the stove can be thrown when the accident
occurs. The car, however, must fall on the proper
side, or else it will be impossible to use the door.
Heating by hot air or hot water is now very gene
rally used in railroad cars, but the source OF the
heat is stove at one end OF the car with coils q
pipe carrying the heated air throughout the car.
Many inventors have endeavOred to utilize this
idea In connection with the plan Of having the
source OF heat outside Of the cars. Some aim to do
then running the pipes through the entire train.
Railroad men object TO this 1t would be impoS-
BILE to detach the cars and make up trains as is
now the case. The cars would be detached from
the source OF heat, and unless the train was made
| up hours before the time for starting the cars
would be cold and uncomfortable Independent
| nractic3l objection. however nat
\ ents for ingenious devices have been granted.
One OF these proposes to have extending in
| the smOkestack OF the engine two pipes with wide
mouths, and as the train rushes along the cold air
is taken in, and passing along the engine boilers,
| is heated, and then is conveyed by pipes through
the train.
HEATED SAND Or sOAPSTONE.
Other inventors still carrying out the idea of
having the heat outside OF the cars propose
| to have a box under the car filled with heated
sand which is heated before the train starts and
Is obtained by heating balls of iron bars of soap
StOne and by this means there Is no fire about the
train except In the engine. The additional weight
OF the sand or iron or soapstOne is said to be OBJ
tected to by railroad men.
While all these devices exhibit great ingenuity
there Is still another which may be said to take
| the palm in this respect. The inventor proposes
to utilize the present system OF heating by hot air
or water, but instead Of stove with coal fire it
is designed to substitute an oil stove. The supply
Of OIL Is placed In spherical vessel which is To-
Gated outside upon the top OF the car and is con-
ucttcu VIII Tic BURNER ny u pipe, through which
the Oil flows as 1t is needed The main value OF
the invention, however, is said to be demonstrated
In the event OF an accident, when the car Is
THROWN FROM THE TRACK.
AS soon as the car is thrown sideways the fas-
Jennings which hold the reservoir of Oil in its posi-
ton are lOOsened and the ball goes rolling Of,
bounding down the embankment and across the
fields until Its momentum IS arrested by the to-
biography OF the country, at q safe distance from
the train. The supply OF Oil, being now remote the
lamp naturally goes out and so all danger from
fire Is averted The inventor, however by another
ingenious valve arrangement, utilities the same
movement OF the car from It's normal position by
producing pun OF compressed air. which being
carried through pipe connected with the lamps
In the car, exJingu1SheS all the lights and thus de-
priveS the derailed OF its last chance OF de-
struction by combustion. This automatic action
| OF a car plunging down an embankment is also
exhibited in q patent which makes use OF the
unusual jolt to drop an iron casing down over
stove 1mpriSOning the fiery contents in fire-proOf
apartment, thus shutting OF the stove from the
inflammabe material OF the car.
Could We bat Know.
Written for THE EVENING STAB:
When Death comes softly from the world above
With hands outstretched to beckon those we love
We deem him cruel, and, with hearts that ache
And eyes tear blinded, for the dear loves sake
linz <rH oav